Thoughts about a fix for headphone HISS

[geeksbsmrt]

I have never used the headphone jack... it was through bluetooth

It may have been an issue with the Sirius app. The issue that I and from the comments others are having is with all media. Usually, when that is the case it points more towards a hardware problem.

I have confirmed the whine exists in Pandora, Netflix, and the stock Music app. I have also tested different combinations of the Audio Enhancements including having them off. Really leaning towards hardware on this one.

 

[Chadwick17]

A squeal? Maybe I'm not hearing the same thing that everybody else is then. I hear a static 'hum' at a higher pitch that continues throughout while audio is playing and then stops 2-3 seconds after audio is stopped (and ends with that 'pop' or 'click'). I can only hear the hiss if the audio is low or there is a quiet spot in the music.

I don't remember this ever happening on my X but I could be wrong. Maybe there are varying degrees of what people are hearing.

 

[geeksbsmrt]

We are probably talking about the same thing. I can only hear it in times of very quite music (I listen to smooth jazz and artists like Michael Buble and Josh Groban) it is very noticeable in a lot of their music. However, when I am listening to harder rock, hip-hop, r&b and such it is not a pronounced. I hear it when the audio stops as well. It is just very annoying as I am planning on using the device for streaming Netflix (a bit of silence in movies) and other audio heavy purposes.

 

[Chadwick17]

Yes, it is definitely annoying. Kind of reminds me of my blu-ray player I got on the cheap. Has a steady hum emitting from it at a higher pitch the whole time a disc is in it. Annoying at first but it kind of fades into the background after a while.

Still though, not something that should be tolerated for a phone that cost this much.

 

[OldSlowOne]

Hi all.

I heard this noise for the first time today, but it was unique in only one way. I turned on the 4G radio; see most of the time I leave it off because I don't live in a 4G area. So I turned off the 4G radio and the noise went away.

I'm not sure if this is the same thing all of you are hearing, but give it a try. I was able to turn my noise on and off by simply turning the 4G radio on and off.

>>Settings>>>>>Wireless & Networks >>>>>Mobile Networks>>>>>Network Mode

Hope it works for others and maybe sheds some light.

 

[geeksbsmrt]

Hi all.

I heard this noise for the first time today, but it was unique in only one way. I turned on the 4G radio; see most of the time I leave it off because I don't live in a 4G area. So I turned off the 4G radio and the noise went away.

I'm not sure if this is the same thing all of you are hearing, but give it a try. I was able to turn my noise on and off by simply turning the 4G radio on and off.

>>Settings>>>>>Wireless & Networks >>>>>Mobile Networks>>>>>Network Mode

Hope it works for others and maybe sheds some light.

Just tested this. Still whines with the stock Music app.

 

[OldSlowOne]

Worth a shot.

 

[geeksbsmrt]

Definately, I don't want it to be a hardware issue. I just can't see it being a software one

 

[bradvoy]

I was hoping that would be a solution, but I still hear the whine with 4g disabled.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk

 

[Dkdude]

I use the stock music app put volume 75-80% up on the phone and I don't have a hiss. Tried my Seinheisser headphones, Logitech Z computer speakers, and my Sony car indash with two different audio cables in the car. I do not have this issue and cannot produce it.

Maybe those who haven't tried, try my way. I also use Enable Audio Effects, no surround but either Balanced or Bass punch EQ.

 

[DroidST]

I really don't use wired headphones but decided to check this issue out.. (I normally stream my music to my auto head or listen via the built in speaker)


xfer'd two mp3's to the Bionic: black eyed peas lets get re_tarded and U2 beautiful day..


no issues with the headphones using my iphone wired headphones (stock music app)..

What else can I check?


I am having overdrive/distortion issues with AVSTREM on my Car deck/head via BT and thought maybe there was something related..

See: http://forums.androidcentral.com/droid-bionic/118245-slacker-pandora-problems.html

 

[pushdrops]

Try the 3 steps below to test for the "noise" (not hiss)

I use the stock music app put volume 75-80% up on the phone and I don't have a hiss. Tried my Seinheisser headphones, Logitech Z computer speakers, and my Sony car indash with two different audio cables in the car. I do not have this issue and cannot produce it. .

it's not really a hiss, it's hard to describe, Chadwick17 does a great job of about the best desscription...

1) Put in your headphones or plug into powered speakers / car radio using the audio out
2) Play an mp3 using the stock radio app with the volume at 100%
3) Stop the mp3 - the noise / interference / whine will present for approx 1 sec and easy to hear / notice as soon as the audio is stopped

The sound that you hear for the moment while the audio engine / codec etc is stopped - it is noticeable at most at this time. The same sound is always there but due to the type of music / content that is chosen it won't be as noticeable while there is audio content but the sound heard when stopping - that's always there .....

I saw a similar issue reported on a recent review of the Galaxy SII Euro version on the AnandTech site yesterday , they perform very in depth reviews and even offer sample which i didn't have a chance to listen to but need to try it out to see if it's the same as the bionic. Hopefully they will have a full review of the Bionic as they point out such issues as this.

In the case of the G SII they point to an issue of interference inherit to the audio chip and cell radio - a design flaw which i think is the same deal with the Bionic (as the sound is NOT there with the Bionic when using the built in speaker or blue-tooth audio <blasting thru the car stereo via blue-tooth and via wireless headphones the noise is not there - it's def related to the analog audio out>).

For everyone that thinks their Bionic doesn't suffer from this issue - then if it's not noticeable (with most types of music as many have pointed out, you won't notice it easily or at all depending on the type of music / content) - then be glad that you don't listen to music with quieter / dynamic passages.

I 1st listened to a bit of rock / metal and thought my Bionic was fine. Then I played some classical mp3's and noticed it and then noticed that it can be found when stopping , with the audio up quite high. I also used the the same sets of phones (from cheap ear buds to my studio monitor headphones) on my original Droid, wife's Eris and Sansa mp3 player - same tunes / files - not a trace of the noise ...

I'm learning to live with and even like the display quite a bit, this audio issue and the daily loss of the 3g network (airplane mode on / off , connecting to wi-fi and disconnecting - neither cure) and poor batter life are leading me to return the Bionic though I want to keep it.

 

[DroidST]

Re: Try the 3 steps below to test for the "noise" (not hiss)

it's not really a hiss, it's hard to describe, Chadwick17 does a great job of about the best desscription...

1) Put in your headphones or plug into powered speakers / car radio using the audio out
2) Play an mp3 using the stock radio app with the volume at 100%
3) Stop the mp3 - the noise / interference / whine will present for approx 1 sec and easy to hear / notice as soon as the audio is stopped

The sound that you hear for the moment while the audio engine / codec etc is stopped - it is noticeable at most at this time. The same sound is always there but due to the type of music / content that is chosen it won't be as noticeable while there is audio content but the sound heard when stopping - that's always there .....

I tried that and just don't hear it anything but silence. perhaps I'm deaf..

I still do have the overdrive issues from slater via BT (issue thread linked above)

 

[dellenrules]

Re: Try the 3 steps below to test for the "noise" (not hiss)

There is some process running which produces the sound when the device HDMI port is connected. I was only able to produce the sound on my lapdock and media dock.

 

[cdf3]

I have the issue as well.
So I decided to see if my previous phone has the same problem. I was shocked to find out it has the same issue as well. It's an HTC Incredible. It has the same hiss, and would continue 2-3 seconds after playback has stopped, then a click sound. I didn't notice it as much on my previous phone because the high frequency range wasn't as crisp.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk

 

[5h4un360]

Glad I wasn't the only one who heard it lol. It's ok, using poweramp options that allows the songs to overlap so I can't hear it

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk

 

[anon(392870)]

Didn't think I heard it before, but I sometimes listen to music or podcasts quietly at work. And I noticed it today.

I use a cheap set of $20 earbuds at work which I definitely noticed it on. Using my Shure SE110's yesterday I didn't seem to notice it at all. I will have to go back and check to see if that is the case.

 

[florin2002]

I think the issue is related to the sensitivity of the earphones/headphones. It's most noticeable when watching videos (pauses between dialogues, silent moments, etc.)
It resembles the noise created by a microphone that is over-amplified in a quiet environment - just a continuous and annoying hissing and fizzling noise.
I was able to get rid of it by using a pair of earphones with in-line volume control: reducing the volume on the earphones and increasing the volume from the phone resulted in clean/no-hissing audio.
I hope this helps.